“Power of the Inner Eye”

About ten years ago we met for the first time, at the house of his parents, and as we had both enjoyed the same artistic training as engravers we had many things in common right from the beginning. Unfortunately we had only little time then to make a short visit to the studio, but nevertheless I immediately realized his enormous artistic talent. Looking back to the discussions we had on this occasion, I can now see, that Thomas Girbl has uncompromisingly implemented the recommendations in his new works.

Thomas Girbl is very much attached to nature. Therefore it is logical that he has fully devoted himself to studying the 5 elements > Earth – Fire – Air – Light and Water < . The physical process is shaped out of the picture, it has grown out of the relations existing between an event that takes place and the side-effects it has, but still it is clearly defined

The process itself is expressed as an effusion, a fusion created by fire…By suddenly blocking the fire, a special effect is created an as a result a fusion appears, a polarization that morphologically reminds of a process that has suddenly frozen.

The shapes merge in a dynamic flow and form a rock-crystal-like shape that evolves into a sunny, floral and airy iconography that is characteristic for his newer pictures. The textures resemble the protuberances in the centre of the sun, and once again express the analogy of cosmic and earthly reality. “The Powers of the Inner Eye.”

The burning of a cosmic reality has turned into an immediately fascinating shape. As a result the fire pictures depict ulcerations, crusts and blisters that are created while burning fixatives, pigments and oil colours. The fire pictures that Thomas Girbl creates seem organic and the artist intends to > let painting and becoming happen, just like growth dictated by nature, or a process taking place autonomously in accordance with nature, and thus wants to intensify the relation to fauna and flora.

He says: “Primarily it is Man and the 5 elements > Earth – Fire – Air – Light and Water < that are the focus of attention.”

When contemplating his work I feel reminded of Goethe’s Theory of Colours and his famous poem:

Was it not for the eye to be like sun,

how could we behold light.

And how could the divine delight as,

if God’s power did not dwell in us?

Klaus J. Schmidt Curator of the Gallery Genius in Düsseldorf